China rubbishes Indian claim cargo ship carrying military equipment to Pakistan

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson says there is 'no concealment or false declaration'

China on Thursday strongly rejected allegations by India that a Karachi-bound merchant vessel, detained by Indian authorities, was carrying cargo which breached non-proliferation obligations and commitments.

Indian media had earlier reported that the ship, MV Da Cui Yun, was transporting an industrial autoclave used in the "manufacture of very long-range ballistic missiles or satellite launch rockets" and the country's Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had confirmed the find.

"China faithfully fulfills its international non-proliferation obligations and commitments. We have learned that the cargo involved is actually a heat-treating furnace shell system made by a private Chinese company," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian during the weekly press briefing.

He further stressed that the equipment is "by no means a piece of military equipment or a dual-use item covered by China's non-proliferation export control regime".

Lijian added that the ship and the owner of the cargo had declared the item "truthfully" before the Indian authorities and there is "no concealment or false declaration".

Indian media reported that the ship, flying Hong Kong's flag, was detained by customs officials in the western port of Kandla in Gujarat and the cargo has been offloaded and kept in a warehouse.